A prominent Richard III historian has accused Leicester Cathedral of acting in an un-Christian way.

Philippa Langley, who played a major role in discovering King Richard’s remains, said “it is not an appropriate or Christian act” to host performances of Shakespeare’s Richard III at the church.

She joins large numbers of people who have complained that the cathedral, the final resting place of the remains of Richard III, is hosting the play.

It offers a broadly negative portrayal of the king’s rise to power.

Hinckley-based Richard Smith, chairman of the Leicestershire branch of the Richard III Society, described the choice of venue as “bizarre” and “disrespectful” when the performances were first announced.

Ms Langley made her comments in a letter responding to a statement from the Dean of Leicester, The Very Reverend David Monteith, defending the performances.

He wrote this in response to an online petition calling for another location for the performances, which almost 1,300 people signed.

Ms Langley wrote: “These performances constitute a breach, not only of the trust placed in the Cathedral and the great city of Leicester and its people, but also of the Ministry of Justice licence accepted by you.”

She was referring to the reburial document allowing the reinterment of the monarch in 2015, which was to follow the same principles and procedures as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The cathedral has confirmed the performances are still going ahead, despite the criticisms.

The Dean said in his response to the petition: “The play will be seen again in this cathedral in a world where power continues to corrupt, where innocents are made victims and the reputation of the good is maligned.

“These themes and more arise from this drama in a complex interplay between truth and fiction.”

London-based theatre company Antic Disposition is performing the play, as part of a cathedral tour. It is also staging the drama at Peterborough, Ely, Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury cathedrals.

Directors Ben Horslen and John Risebero said they hoped the audience would look beyond Shakespeare’s version of the story to a “more nuanced assessment of Richard that is now emerging”.